Safe & Sound
by Beautiful Radiance
Summary: This isn't just a tale of light versus dark, but a story of vivid dreams, bittersweet lies, forever friendships, unrequited love, unforgettable memories and the unbreakable chains binding everyone together in this world and the next.
1. The Valley of Light

**AN:/** Well hello there and welcome to my latest venture, Safe & Sound. I've been working on this plot ever since I dreamt it up, I haven't seen a story like it thus far but I hope I haven't robbed someone elses plot by mistake. D: -foreverparanoid- But yes, this is something I'll be working on from now on. I will update every 2 weeks like clockwork, regardless of my state of mind (my anxiety plays up some weeks more than others so some chapters may be higher quality than others, but I'll try and remain as consistent as possible!) The plot for this is nowhere near finalised as it just seems to evolve into something else with every sentence I type, but I'm enjoying writing it and I hope you will enjoy reading it :)

Of course none of this belongs to me besides the basic plot :3 /disclaimer

-Beautiful Radiance.

* * *

><p>Second chances.<p>

Funny things, second chances. People sometimes despise that they happen far too often, making them question if second chances even exist given that they are handed out so frequently for no real reward. It also sometimes may seem that people can do no wrong within society because they know that people will forgive and forget. Then there are the people that never get the option of having a second chance for their mistakes; the opportunity ripped away from them either through death or a lack of forgiveness.

Either way, no-one goes through their entire life without giving or being given a second chance.

But what if you were given multiple chances in life? What if, when your time was up, you merely passed through into a brand new life; a new place; a new existence?

That's how things work in this universe. Yet everyone is blissfully unaware that this occurs.

Except us lucky ones.

~-[* * * * * * *]-~

This had to be a dream; there was no possible way that this could be real.

Not that he'd dreamt for a long time now, his sleep usually plagued with emptiness and worry over the last few months. It seemed his dreams escaped the confines of his mind and found their way to... her.

She knew everything yet even she couldn't have predicted this. Why didn't she see this coming? Maybe then everyone could have been saved, they could have rewound time back to the times that felt so carefree and simple; everyone laughing while Demyx played some music on his sitar, all their friends skipping and dancing around the familiar coffee shop, black liquid sloshing out of the mugs they were all waving about. Those times were long gone, and with that realisation in mind his stomach dropped, his heart filled with sorrow over a past life he would never get back.

He still had yet to open his eyes, petrified at what he may see. Surrounded by the warmth that was seeping into his skin, he imagined flames engulfing him, twirling around his limbs in lethal ribbons until his body ceased to exist and faded into embers. At least, he would have thought he'd end up in hell. Yet the heat became...comforting, as it enveloped him he felt secure and content and he knew then it must be safe. Slowly he cracked open one wide blue eye then immediately squeezed it shut again as it was met with the brightest white light.

Eyes that closed in retaliation reopened to vibrant green hues.

He sat up quickly with alarm at the sudden change of surrounding, balancing himself with his hands on the spongy surface he now found himself on while feeling the warmth of buttery sunshine kiss his skin. Lightheadedness swept over him and he shook his head to dispel the feeling. _Grass? Where did all this grass come from? _Shortly after that thought ended small daisies began to bloom in the ground spaced between his fingers, branching out to correlate into shapes.

Key shapes.

"Oathkeeper and Oblivion," he whispered under his breath, eyes widened with alarm yet also with warm familiarity. A small smile crept across his face then a snippet of memories flashed in the front of his mind.

'_Oh this? It was a gift from ...a friend; he called it 'oathkeeper' or something like that. He said it would protect me, though I don't see how a piece of metal could keep me safe. Still it's a beautiful piece and it meant a lot to him so I know when to appreciate such a nice gift.' Bow-shaped lips curled upwards, the tips of her fingers pressed together as she leant towards him on the table, the jewellery hanging from her neck and swinging side to side in an almost hypnotic fashion._

He gasped and hastily got to his feet, albeit shakily. Once again the location overwhelmed him; he appeared to be in a small meadow, the circle of grass he was sitting in now littered with daisies and white lilies. _Her favourite flowers,_ he thought idly to himself, glancing over at the other edge of the meadow to see a completely different array of flowers – pink fairy lilies and red roses. Enclosing the paddock were large oak trees, leaves swaying in the gentle breeze and scattering the sunlight. He looked around for a pathway, any other sign of life besides his own 'existence' in this place, but found nothing. Once again left alone like he had in the last place he'd been.

Sighing, he scratched his head and turned to his right, his ears finally picking up on the sounds of bubbling water and what sounded like pencils scratching on paper. _Now that sounds familiar,_ he thought to himself, striding in the direction the sound was coming up before reaching his destination.

The sight was awe-worthy; a waterfall crashed and misted in the far distance, the movement rippling the water in the lake in front of him. The light sparkled and danced on the surface, giving the water an almost luminescent appearance, as though if you ran your hand through it it would feel silky to the touch. The areas surrounding the lake were made up of thousands of forget-me-nots, azaleas, white carnations, irises and blue violets; he could easily recognise these species of plant as they were the ones that she planted by the windows in Bliss; 'to brighten up the place' she had claimed.

He turned up one side of his face in a smile and walked closer to the lake, noting the orchids that bobbed near the edges until across from the lake he saw an ornate bench made from shimmering marble, the pieces twisted into elegant shapes.

But the architecture wasn't what mattered; it was the person sitting on it.

She was curled in the right corner of the bench, her legs tucked underneath her as her sketchbook was sprawled on her lap along with assorted coloured pencils. The white dress she loved to wear now had blue ribbons crisscrossing down the sides, the same colour as her eyes. Her blonde hair was loosely plaited and swept over one shoulder, a forget-me-not branch placed in each weave. She was smiling down at her drawing, looking completely at peace and he didn't want to break that peace; yet his body was urging him to walk towards her.

Hesitantly he took a few steps forward, extending an arm as though to reach out to her.

"Nami?" His voice was barely audible yet her head left the drawing and looked up towards him. Naminé smiled, a beaming smile that seemed to radiate light. But her eyes were looking over his shoulder.

A shoulder where a hand suddenly clamped onto.

Whirling around in shock at the sudden intrusion into his personal space he was met with eyes identical to his, and as recognition hit him like a bus he sharply inhaled while the new figure opened their mouth to speak.

"Welcome home, Roxas."


	2. Bliss

_4 months prior._

There was something about being in such a large city that made it seem like an illusion. How mankind could have built buildings so tall they're half in the clouds, the cars cluttering row after row in the makeshift city walls, horns blazing and reverberating around. After a while though you barely even notice the sound; _fairly big safety hazard, _she smirked at the thought. Hollow Bastion was the biggest city this side of the country, and also the most populated for many reasons. People always headed to Hollow Bastion if they wanted to make it big; all the nationwide businesses were centred here, celebrities flitted in and out as though it was their own house, talent scouts lurked around every corner looking to pick out the next gem from the masses. However, that was the problem. In such a crowded place it was easy for the most notable characters to slip through as though they were invisible, just another fish in the ever-flowing stream that carries on towards the shores never to be seen again. Yet she liked it that way, the anonymity gave her the chance to blend into her surroundings – the less noticeable she was the better. Even someone casually brushing past her on the pavement could make her blush and flinch; her natural shyness only seem to worsen while living in the city.

Sadly though that particular type on interaction was unavoidable, especially today as she strode across the road towards her workplace. Her large book bag swung heavily on her shoulder, colliding with her hip almost painfully as she wove her way around oncoming pedestrians which was unsurprisingly difficult when looking down at the concrete while walking. It was bad enough that she got out late from her excruciatingly difficult art exam and thus was going to be late for work but everyone seemed to be out on the streets today as well. _Just my luck, bet there is some premiere going on in the centre of town and people want to get a look in, as per, _her frown deepened when her Converse met a muddy puddle as she was pushed aside by a group of teenage boys on skateboards.

"Look where you're going, blondie!" One of the boys hollered in her direction. Resisting the urge to look over her shoulder and stick her tongue out at them she instead lowered her head further to allow her choppy layers to cover her now red cheeks.

_2 more streets and I'll be at the entrance to the alleyway, 2 more streets_, she picked up speed and finally turned down a narrow passageway that was thankfully clear of drunken hobos and feral dogs for once. She sighed with relief and ran her hands through her paint-stained hair, noticeably relaxing in the familiar surroundings. That is another thing about the big cities, small closed off areas might as well have never existed, particularly to the tourists. However as a citizen they are one of the best places to be. This alleyway in particular, the old and crumbling brickwork laced with ivy and the cobblestones polished from footsteps, lead towards a spacious courtyard closed in by converted houses. Some had become boutiques that sold handmade, tailored clothing; suits, dresses, costumes, you name it and they'll sew it. Some were specialised beauty stores, crafting soaps from scratch and created makeup products that rivalled even the biggest brands. One had become a jewellers, and was very popular with the rich and famous locals as the paparazzi could never locate the shop. The rest had become restaurants, ranging from Italian to Japanese; there was even one that served chicken and nothing but chicken. The smells just made the place even more enticing and the people happily strolling around, some chatting about their days under the awnings over their bowls of pasta, only added to the atmosphere. There wasn't even a name for the space, no street name, nothing.

The place she worked in was in the far end of the area, a coffee shop called Bliss. Supposedly it was named after the owner's dead cat, but she wasn't one to judge seeing as the name couldn't have been more fitting. The front of the two storey building was coated in the same green and white-laced ivy that adorned the alleyway walls; only the large windows and glass doors fronting the shop were visible. She pushed the doors open with her shoulder and swung herself into the coffee-scented warmth and filled her ears with the idle chatter of the customers and the light strumming of an acoustic guitar. The red brick was exposed and crumbling, and while it may have seemed a cause for concern it only seemed to add more character to the place. Sliding her puddle-drenched shoes across the hardwood floors, Naminé glanced around to find her colleagues. Her eyes instinctively looked to the upper platform first as someone was usually always cleaning tables on it; because the building was completely gutted out and they needed more tables to cope with demand her boss, Marluxia, had installed a glass platform with a spiral staircase leading up to it and yet more ivy adorning the metal barriers that held it together and stopped people falling. The glass itself was translucent and multicoloured, streaming beams of colour from the skylights in the roof to the floor below. Upon said platform she could see Yuffie whizzing around armed with cleaning supplies and the cream work apron they were forced to wear. Naminé noted that upstairs didn't look too full and relaxed a little at having less work to do.

Diverting her eyes back to the ground floor she walked towards the back of the store, weaving through the round tables until she neared the café's best feature. Running down the side and across to the ordering counter was a small stream, the small ripples in the water scattering the coloured light from above and making the place seem so much more magical than it actually was. She navigated the small arched bridge to cross it and found the source of the guitar; Demyx was perched on a barstool on a stage in front of the small trickling waterfall that splashed from the ceiling, cascading down the purpose built rock formation to the miniature stream below. His eyes were firmly pressed closed as he mouthed along the words to whatever song he was playing; after he played a song riddled with swear words as a young family were walking in Marluxia had banned him from singing before 7pm much to his dismay.

Demyx was one of her closest friends since beginning her job there. A ball of enthusiasm that was hard not to adore; this was the only way to describe him. Having graduated with a degree in psychology to please his parents he grabbed his instruments and hit the road, eventually getting the part time gig at Bliss to save up for a tour he was planning. Forever the optimist, he believed saving whatever tips he received was the best plan of action to achieving his ambitions. Though it would probably take him years to get enough cash Demyx never faltered. It was also his abundant positivity that gave Naminé the push of confidence she needed and so she could come out of her shell in the building with him.

Naminé waved a hand in front of his face to try and gain his attention then decided to jab him in the side instead. Knocked out of his trance so suddenly Demyx stumbled off his chair but caught himself, the guitar and the chair in a move that looked hard to pull off. Naminé giggled behind her hand at his reaction before giving him a big smile.

"Nam-Nam!" Demyx then gathered her into a hug with his guitar all mushed up in his arms.

"Dem-can't-breathe," She spluttered out her words as the side of the guitar jabbed into her ribs.

"Ooh, sorry," He set her back on her feet and crouched to be eye level with her. "I see you haven't grown since you left, shame." Winking, he ruffled up her hair then retracted when a splodge of paint stuck itself to his palm. _Ha, karma._

"Dem, I was gone for 3 weeks while I was preparing for my exams, it's not like I took a six-month long backpacking trip to Timbuktu," She raised an eyebrow while she fixed her blonde hair as best she could, amused at how distraught Demyx looked to get a bit of paint on his skin as he feverishly wiped it off on his 'work' jeans.

"But still, it's so boring without you around," He pouted in his typical fashion. "Yuffie went all OCD and wouldn't stop yelling at me and Zex to do more around the place because she was rushed off her feet getting everything 'perfect'" Putting his hands on his hips he raised his voice a few pitches. "Oh my fucking god Zexion what is the point of you working here if all you do is pour coffee messily into mugs and read? And Demyx stop playing on your shitty guitar and help me mop or else I'll use it to put out the fire I'll make using Zexion's book collection."

Naminé laughed as she imagined the look of horror on their faces at that moment in time. "Damn, all the fun happens while I have exams," She fiddled with the strap of her bag, looking over her shoulder to check Marluxia still wasn't around.

"Don't worry, we'll make your boring slave job a little more interesting," Demyx perched himself back on his stool and started absent-mindedly strumming the same song from before. "I mean, you're done with your work for this year so just relax, enjoy your youth before you turn into a cripple and die." He sent her a crooked smile and continued humming along to the song that was so soft it made her want to sleep on the spot.

"I won't be dying anytime soon, unless I trip over air and into the path of an oncoming bus," she swayed side to side with the tune. "Is this a new song you're working on?"

Demyx nodded, testing out a few chords before continuing. "I had a fair bit of spare time recently and this tune wouldn't get out of my head so it's nice to hear it on the actual instrument," He glanced over at the staff room hidden behind the counter with sorrowful eyes. "I tried it out on my sitar but it just didn't sound right, and that's a first."

Naminé opened her mouth to comment but was interrupted by the sound of a hardback book slamming shut and someone coughing needlessly loudly. She whirled around at the sound and saw Zexion leaning in the corner of the counter, his glasses slipping down his nose as he gestured out of the window where a mane of pink hair was approaching.

A quick glance at her watch reminded Naminé that she was already late and was now even later for checking in since she stopped to catch up with Demyx. She quickly ran across the stage, over the bridge and behind the counter to grab her apron; Zexion watching with a faraway look on his face. Grabbing the ties and securing them around her waist, she yanked the mug that had just finished filling from the counter and thrust it towards the customer with a little too much enthusiasm.

"Thank you for your custom!" Naminé plastered an unusual wide smile on her face just as Marluxia glided through the door. His arms weighed down with various bags of coffee beans, all ranging in a variety of flavours that only he could seem to find.

He strode up to the counter and looked Naminé up and down, an eyebrow quirked upwards at her sloppy appearance and never-seen enthusiasm. "Come straight from class I see?"

"My exam ran slightly over so I didn't have time," Naminé smiled sheepishly, ducking her head and shuffling her shoes on the ground.

Marluxia sighed; it wasn't uncommon for her to turn up this way, but he supposed it was just part of her character. Her artistic talents and traits didn't go unnoticed; she in fact designed the very glass platform that disguised her colour-stained hair as being part of the rainbow lightshow that only added to the ambiance of the place. He had watched her develop over the last 2 years- from the moment she entered the café laden with sketchbooks and cv's and had silently passed one to Marluxia while blushing as though she was applying for a job at a stripper joint. It was almost endearing how vulnerable she looked and so he took her under his wing. Everyone knew he had a soft side due to the sheer amount of things he does to help others; he gave Demyx his first gig after graduating, he even let Yuffie sleep in the back room until she earned enough to find her own place.

However his hardened exterior prevented any unprofessional emotions surfacing and so he set his face into a scowl and trudged towards his office to deposit the stock and do whatever mysterious things he does in there. One slow day Naminé, Yuffie and Demyx had congregated behind the counter to come up with theories with what he does in that room.

"He's obviously vigorously masturbating to gay porn. Why else would he lock the door?" Demyx had shrugged and taken a bite out of his pain au chocolat.

Yuffie had snorted, adding "Maybe he keeps someone tied under his desk, y'know like an 'ass-istant'"

"Oh God my brain is melting," Naminé, who had been perched on the countertop, had stifled her laughter by hiding her face in her hands.

"Imagine if it was that creepy old man with the long blonde hair that comes in on Monday mornings," Demyx's horrified expression caused the laughter to raise an octave.

"I could totally see that happening," Demyx had shaken his head side to side as though trying to shake the thought out of his head. "Oh Marly, you naughty beast."

"You do realise that he has security cameras installed in here, don't you?" Zexion had glanced over the top of his glasses from the book he was reading. "He probably spends his time in there watching them back and laughing at you all, plus you saying all this just gives him fodder to fire you with." Zexion turned to the next page fairly aggressively while the rest of the group silenced their laughs and had rushed back to cleaning the surface closest to them.

In the present day however Marluxia left the door slightly ajar and the crew could see him absentmindedly flipping through various files that lay sprawled over his desk.

"Kills the mystery when he doesn't lock it," Yuffie called down from the staircase she was descending.

Zexion scoffed from behind his novel and went back to stirring his own coffee. Zexion always carried around an air of superiority, almost as though he really believed he was destined for better things; that everything in this world was beneath him. He never had time for 'petty' things; all of this thoughts and decisions were logic-based, no creativity came from him unless he was taking it in from the pages of whatever book he was lost in. Sure, he was far more advanced academically than his colleagues, but third-year med school drop-out didn't look good on some job applications and so he was trapped pushing mug after mug to the bleary-eyed public every weekday morning like clockwork. It has never been said or guessed why he did drop out of university; every query about it was met with a deathly glare and pursed lips that would make anyone's blood curdle. His antisocial tendencies also didn't help matters and weren't exactly a desired trait with his current occupation; the only reason he even got the job was because he knew Marluxia when the place opened.

Yuffie heard his noise and scowled in his direction before placing the cleaning materials on the counter facing Naminé.

"Lend a hand please? I don't think my arms will ever recover from cleaning the mess that was upstairs, I swear to God all kiddies should be forced to stay in school during lunch hours, none of this privilege business," she stretched them out then flopped herself on the counter. "Can you please take care of the rest, Nami?" Yuffie peered over her arms at Naminé with a pleading expression.

Smiling and nodding, Naminé picked up the cleaning materials and got to work.

The next few hours consisted much of the same; Demyx sat back on his stool and played for 2 hours straight before a hot chocolate was thrust in his direction (which he drank as though he was dying of thirst), Yuffie was front of house taking in the orders that Zexion was half-heartedly creating while Naminé swiped up spills and general debris the bustling public left in their wake.

When she got to leave at 5pm her arms were stinging from the effort, her hands clasped around a take-out cup filled with her altered version of Bliss's gingerbread latte. She had remembered at the last minute that her flatmate had asked for a couple of muffins and gotten the drink to make the cost cheaper; the usual student frame of mind – take any meal offer available.

The walk from her workplace to her apartment wasn't too far, though after particularly gruelling days the walk seemed never-ending. To get home she had to go through one of few parks in the city, and so she always took this route. Coming from a rural town, walking in even a small park area soothed her homesickness the smallest amount; not a lot but enough. Strolling through the iron gates surrounding the area she hummed in contentment as her view changed to one obscured by looming trees overhead, dispersing the setting sunlight across the gravel pathway her feet crunched against. It was only a few hundred square metres but it was enough to give her peace of mind, to calm her down on her most stressful days.

Naminé took one last deep breath of the semi-fresh air before the park spit her out on the main road opposite her apartment complex. Wanting to just dump her stuff in her room and sleep, she hurried towards the lift; some days she would brave the stairs but being tired and living on the 8th floor wasn't a good combination.

While she travelled up the floors and down the corridor she thought of only one thing; _Please don't let Selphie be home, please don't let her be home, I'll do anything but let her have gone out already, please don't let her be-_

"Heyyyyy~!" Their apartment door was ripped open and a pair of slender but strong arms attached themselves around Naminé's shoulders, perfectly curved hair poking her in the eye.

Selphie was the type of girl who would smile and the whole room would have no choice but to smile back. She was a ball of electricity that created a magnetic force that drew people in; it was impossible to hate her or even ignore her, Naminé had tried many times over the years but failed.

"Hi Selph, I thought you'd have gone out by now," Naminé returned the hug then shuffled away to get some of her personal space back.

Selphie pouted, leaning forward with her hands on her hips. "So eager for me to not be around, that's mean Mini!"

Selphie and Naminé had both grown up on the Destiny Islands, a collection of small rural islands about a 6 hour car drive from Hollow Bastion. The inhabitants of each island treated one another like blood relatives and so it wasn't surprising that when Selphie and Naminé were born around the same time, they would form a sisterly bond. They were best friends, their opposite personalities complementing each other and cementing their bond, Naminé felt closer to her than she did to her older brother Cloud. 'Mini' was a nickname from their time as toddlers when Selphie couldn't pronounce 'Naminé' and the name stuck.

Naminé sighed, tugging at Selphie's sleeve to keep her attention. "You know I didn't mean it like that, I'm just tired" Throwing her an apologetic smile, she watched Selphie's face melt from the pout into a mischievous grin that made goosebumps rise up on her arms.

"Well it's a good job I caught you then when you got back," she whirled into the small kitchen area and ripped open a packet of crisps while Naminé dumped her things by the doorway.

"It was your last exam today right?" Selphie's brow rose inquisitively.

_Lie, just lie to her, you know what she's going to do if you don't-_

"Yeah it was." _Shit, word vomit. _Naminé mentally face-palmed while Selphie's smile threatened to rip her face in two.

"No excuse then, now that we've both finished our first years we HAVE to go out and celebrate!" She threw more crisps into her mouth as she spoke; her limbs were visibly vibrating with excitement.

Naminé winced, there was no backing out now. "Will you force me out even if I bolted myself to the floor?"

Selphie stopped chewing and sent a full-force glare in Naminé's direction. "I would chop off your limbs and dress your torso up so fabulously no-one would notice the blood," she sighed and her expression softened. "But seriously, Mini, there's a whole world out there. All you've properly seen since we've been here is the uni's art department, this apartment and your workplace."

Naminé shuffled on the spot. She knew Selphie was making sense; one of the reasons they had both come here was to experience life in the 'real world'. Life on the islands was too sheltered, too protected; they needed this dose of reality to prepare them for the rest of their lives.

"Ugh, fine. Just... let me get all this paint off me," she turned into her bedroom before Selphie could reply and ran into her en suite bathroom. Sighing in resignation, she collected her shampoos and body washes in preparation for what she expected to be a horrible experience.

What she didn't expect was for that night to completely change her life as she knew it.

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><p><strong><span>AN:** And now we're in business. :) I apologise for the general messiness of this chapter, I was going to put it up next week but certain parts of my life have taken a turn for the worse. So I figured I'd post this earlier to make up for the longer wait time for the next chapter. Sorry in advance but it's just hard to deal with right now. I hope this chapter somewhat makes up for it. :)

-Beautiful Radiance


	3. Ivory

"Mini, stop complaining, we'll be there soon."

Naminé huffed, crossing her arms and shuffling on the spot. Even though it was the start of summer, there was an unusual chill to the air that night. It didn't help that she was dressed in a white skater dress with only thin lace sleeves to cover her arms; the heels she had been forced into were hardly keeping her feet warm either.

"Have you not seen the line? Selph you picked one of the most popular places around-"

Selphie raised a carefully-manicured hand to silence her friend. "I know people; trust me we'll be there soon."

Naminé raised an eyebrow but kept her mouth shut, following her friend like a lost dog. The music could be heard clearly from halfway down the line and she cringed when they reached the door and it hit them full blast. Of course Selphie seemed used to it. _Surprised she isn't deaf yet,_ she grimaced as the song descended into something that sounded like squealing brakes with random drum beats thrown in.

There were two bouncers at the door, both tall and brawny with bright ginger hair. The stern expressions plastered onto their faces were keeping the students at the front of the queue in check; they were standing a good metre away from the rope they held in their tightened fists. However the taller of the two let go when he heard loud shouts and screams from somewhere in the queue and headed down to sort the situation out, a growl rumbling from his throat as he swept past the two girls.

Naminé swallowed dryly while Selphie merrily skipped to the bouncer left at the door and whispered into his ear. The bouncer's frown turned into a full grin as he beamed at Selphie, looking over at Naminé with a wink then opened the rope barrier to let them in.

"Anything for my sistas. Have fun, ya!" The bouncer said, smiling even wider.

"Thank you for the tickets, Wakka! Have a nice night!" Selphie yelled this out of the entryway as she pulled a reluctant Naminé up the staircase.

"Wait, you know him?" She noticed how full it was inside of the club, eyes watching curiously as their heels clacked against the floor.

"Wakka's in my literature class, believe it or not. But he works at a few nightclubs so he can get me in anywhere," Selphie turned to face Naminé, "If he wasn't working tonight we would never have gotten in so we were lucky."

"Mhmm, lucky." The mumble disappeared under the now painfully loud music surrounding them.

They were standing on a small balcony at the back of the huge room, short spiral stairs lead them down onto the main dancefloor which was completely covered with people moving against one another. The speakers were set in 8 columns from floor to ceiling and were visibly vibrating with each beat. But there were so many _people_, it made her wish she was one of the bricks in the walls. She froze on the spot and reached out to Selphie.

"Selphie you never sai-," Her hand grasped air where her friend once stood. Feeling the anxiety spin in her stomach, she grabbed the railing and scoured the crowd only to see Selphie in the middle of the dancefloor grinding with some tanned, blonde guy she recognised from some of Selphie's Facebook pictures.

"Shit," Naminé let go of the railing and looked for a place to sit and wait until the night ended, her thoughts were scattered as the panic rose.

_Where's a good place to go? Is there actually anywhere else or is it just this huge room? It's so hot in here. And loud. Maybe the toilets would be a good spot. Yeah I bet they have AC in there! But where are the toilets? And if I found them I'm sure it'll be more like a sewer. I can smell sewers actually. Ugh this is gross, why do so many people want to come out to these places? I mean seriously I don't underst-_

She was dragged out of her thoughts by someone dragging on her arm, the smell of body odour surrounding the two.

"Hey there," A man, 6ft6 with the figure of a pole, leered down at her with cigarette stained teeth. His bloodshot eyes were enough to indicate this man had overdone it on his drinking, but if that wasn't enough to convince her, he then promptly passed out around her feet.

Naminé who was already bright red to begin with, turned a purple colour as people looked at the stranger then back to her with confused yet amused expressions on their faces. She shuffled along the wall in her heels with her head hung low until she bashed into someone walking the opposite direction.

"Watch where the fuck you're going!" He yelled over the music, causing Naminé to look up from her shoes with wide eyes. By the time she had registered the pissed off expression on his face, the man was already past her and striding aggressively towards the stairs.

Her heart rate was alarmingly fast and it only motivated her more to find an exit or somewhere with fewer people, or faces she would recognise, until she noticed that the music had gotten significantly quieter and her toes nudged a bar stool in front of her.

She breathed a sigh of relief and perched herself on the edge of the stool, placing her head over her folded arms on the bar.

"What can I get for you?" A deep voice asked; there was a kind yet playful edge to it, and it was coming from in front of her so it was just the bartender. Naminé relaxed a bit further in the seat, kicking her legs to and fro.

"I really regret agreeing to this," She mumbled to herself, her nails grazing the leather countertop material in meaningless patterns as her heart returned to a normal speed.

"One 'Regret' cocktail coming up!" The bartender declared, followed quickly by the clanging of bottles as he fetched them from below the bar.

"But I-" Naminé raised her head and her eyes met bright crimson hair, spiked in ways she didn't think were humanly possible. He was tall and skinny but given how many bottles he was holding in his arms he was fairly strong. He turned around and placed his mixers and liquors in front of her, his vivid green eyes meeting her plain blue ones with a wicked smirk. Naminé gave a muted smile in return.

"Don't worry about it; just let Doctor Axel take care of it. Alright, kitty-cat?" 'Axel' then began pouring copious amounts of juices and spirits into a shaker, tipped it up into a long glass and shuffled it over to her hand.

"Kitty-cat?" Naminé raised an eyebrow, taking a sip of the beverage. It was surprisingly sweet, maybe he put less alcohol in it than she thought. "Is that what you call all the girls you give drinks to?"

"Ha! You caught me," Axel winked, glad to see a playful side coming out from the shy girl. "But nah, the people here... aren't my type. The nickname just fits you for some reason, and you looked like you needed cheering up. Plus since you're one of the first sane people I have encountered since I started working here you're just a little bit special."

He smiled before withdrawing a paper umbrella from his pocket, balancing it on the edge of her now nearly empty glass. "Have this as a token of my appreciation that I'm not the only one who hates this foul establishment."

Naminé giggled, feeling a lot more comfortable now she was with Axel – he reminded her of Demyx.

"So why do you work at this 'foul establishment' as you called it?" She slurped the last drops from the bottom of the glass before Axel handed her a replacement cocktail.

"It pays the bills, not to mention I normally get a substantial amount of tips; people can be very generous when they're pissed." His smile faltered. "Usually I have a friend or two come to keep me company, but something ticked him off today so he just stormed off."

Naminé hummed over her straw, feeling a little bit fuzzy in her fingers and toes. "Does he normally have anger issues?"

Axel pondered the question. "He's not an angry person, he's just been through a lot – plus this is a stressful time of year, I'm sure he didn't mean to lash out." He shook his head and replaced the frown with a smile. "Enough about me though – isn't the bartender supposed to be the shrink here?"

Laughing, Naminé told Axel about Selphie, her distaste for crowds and loud noises, about Bliss, about her artwork, even a little bit about Destiny Islands (where apparently a few of Axel's friends are from – what a small world!) and suddenly she was 5 drinks down and a little unsteady.

"I probably should go find Selphie... she worries about me – well when she isn't rubbing up on some fake-tanned, superficial dickhead." Naminé announced, pushing herself away from the barstool with a flourish.

"You are a funny one, kitty-cat," Axel replied, chuckling to himself. "Thanks for keeping me entertained."

She smiled, grabbing his hand and staring at him intensely. "We will meet again, I promise," she said, putting on the deepest voice she could, causing another round of laughter.

"On a serious note Naminé..." she picked up on him using her actual name.

"Be safe, okay?" Axel gazed down at her, concern written on his features.

Naminé nodded, flashing him a quick smile before stumbling towards the crowd.

After 10 minutes of searching the top half of the dance floor through dizzy eyes, she leant against the speakers and ran her fingers through her hair in frustration.

Selphie, Selphie, Selphie... she shouldn't be that difficult to find. She was after all dressed in her trademark highlighter yellow clothing, a trend she brought to Hollow Bastion from back home.

Home. Destiny Islands. A place where the population was less than 2000 and it was always warm. Full of open spaces and white sands and bright sunlight.

Light.

The pain hit her first, as though a knife had been rammed through her skull and out the other side.

Clutching her head, she screamed as her vision was taken over by a blinding light before everything faded to black.

The first thing Naminé noticed as she returned to consciousness was the smell of damp air. Damp air and... smoke?! Her eyes flew open and she gasped at her surroundings. She was sat in a disused tunnel, the walls coated in graffiti and a slime that looked almost alien. Dimmed streetlights provided the only light source around, making everything feel eerie. The light highlighted the smoke, which was coming from a burning trash can further down the tunnel. She absent-mindedly wondered who started it since there was no-one else around. The ground was coated in litter, leaves and dirt, though she noticed a few suspicious looking needles in the mix which confirmed she was far from the safe side of town.

After giving herself a quick glance over she could tell she wasn't injured; there were a few cuts and bruises here and there, but nothing unusual. One of her shoes was missing, not that she complaining too much about ruining a pair of high heels, and her dress was covered in whatever grime had accumulated in the spot she was sat in.

A distinct crunching sound resonated around the entire tunnel, causing Naminé to jump in shock only to see a dark hooded figure silhouetted in the smoke moving slowly towards her.

On the verge of crying, she curled up into a ball and squeezed her eyes shut, hoping the stranger would just pass by and leave her alone.

'_Please leave me alone, please leave me alone..._'

Heartbeat pounding, thoughts racing, palms slick with sweat and mud, footsteps echoing.

'_Don't hurt me, don't hurt me, please..._'

The person stopped nearby, and a quiet voice responded to her thoughts.

"I'm not going to hurt you, are you okay?"

Naminé peeked through her fingers at the stranger. He looked fairly tall, just over 6ft, and was wearing jeans, some awful bright yellow converse, and a dark blue hoodie.

However it wasn't just the shoes that caught her attention, but the ocean blue eyes that peered over her from under his hood. They held a certain warmth and had no hint of bad intentions.

She slowly got to her feet, cautiously watching her step as she neared the stranger. She stopped a metre or so away and opened her mouth to ask the million questions running through her head, yet no sound came out.

Sensing her nerves, the stranger made up the distance and bent to her level for eye contact.

"How come you're out here alone? This isn't the right side of town for students..." He studied her features carefully, noting her confusion and fear.

"Where...am I exactly? And who are you?" Naminé blurted out, covering her mouth when her voice echoed around the surroundings.

"Ah! She speaks!" The stranger cheered, half raising his fist at the little victory of getting her to talk. "You're in Waterway, south of the city, and I'm sure you've heard how dodgy this part is."

She nodded – every year students are warned to avoid the dark underbelly of the city, told instead to stick to areas north and west of the city.

"As for who I am, I will tell you - only if you let me take you home," He smiled, a broad grin that Naminé couldn't help but mirror.

A part of Naminé's mind was screaming stranger danger, but another part was willing her to trust this boy. That part didn't fancy walking home alone, especially somewhere unfamiliar.

"If you were in my position, would you willingly go with a stranger you met in a sketchy part of town, who won't reveal his identity, to your apartment in the middle of the night?" She looked down at her feet, nudging the ground with the toe of her remaining shoe.

He pondered over it momentarily before grinning at her again. "Of course I would, because I know me and I trust me," his smile dimmed a little. "But if you decide no, I don't think I could deal with the thought of you walking around here alone so I would tail you anyways."

Naminé sighed in resignation.

"Okay, where do we go from here?" She asked, pulling on the edges of her sleeves.

The stranger widened his eyes in surprise; he wasn't expecting her to agree to it.

"Urm, well, it depends where you wanna go I guess," He replied, scratching the back of his head nervously. His wrists made a jingling noise with the motion. "I'm guessing you live by HBU campus so I'm guessing Castlegate?"

She shook her head. "No, rent was too expensive there, so we moved to West Valley."

"Ah, I know a shortcut to there, should be safer than the main streets." He pointed vaguely in the direction of an alleyway that took them uphill before striding off.

'_This is such a bad idea,'_ Naminé thought to herself, mentally facepalming for her stupidity. She took off her shoe and tossed it into whatever oblivion the other one went and followed the stranger's bright yellow shoes through the smoky-haze.

They didn't speak for a while, though it became obvious that both had questions for the other. The stranger was the first to break the silence.

"Sooo..." He stuffed his hands in his hoodie pocket, turning to look at the girl he had picked up quite literally from the gutter. "You never did tell me why you were down there, Miss..." He fixed her with a questioning stare.

"Naminé," The minute she said it she cringed_. 'Shit, why did you go telling him your name?! Ah it's too late now, might as well just answer whatever he asks...'_ "My name is Naminé, and as for why I was down there I honestly have no idea."

The stranger's eyebrows rose, suddenly changing his stance. "How can you not remember anything? You didn't... take anything did you?"

Understanding what he was accusing her off, she turned red. "No, nonono, nothing like that. I rarely go out, I'm a lot more comfortable staying in with rubbish tv and a sketchbook. I don't drink much either, it's Just that Selphie dragged me out since it's after exams and she wants to celebrate." She knew she was rambling so she took a deep breath to clear her head.

"Selphie? Guessing she's your friend?" The stranger asked, relieved she hadn't ventured towards drugs. She nodded.

"Flatmate, we came here together from our homeland for university. I went looking for her in the club and that's the last thing I remember." Naminé shrugged, not knowing what else she could say.

"Hmmm, which club did you go to?"

"7th Heaven I think it was called," She flinched when the stranger grabbed her by the wrist, but didn't pull away. He was staring at her with concerned eyes, his hand radiating warmth up her arm.

"I don't understand how you ended up so far away from your friend," He looked upset about this, but he let go of her wrist. She already missed the warmth. "I'm glad I found you before someone else did."

"Speaking of which, why were you down there?" Naminé asked, looking up at him with questioning eyes as they continued their stroll uphill.

He barked out a laugh which was empty of any humour. "It's where I belong now. It's a great place to live if you don't want to be found."

That struck a chord inside her heart, and she found herself wanting to comfort this stranger she had only met half an hour earlier.

"Why don't you want to be found?" She enquired, speaking in a soft manner to convey he didn't have to answer if he didn't want to.

"There are many reasons why, Naminé, but they all lead back to me wanting to protect people." His carefree expression hardened. "There are things I have to do, some good, some bad, but I have to do it in order to keep those connected to me safe."

He glanced over at the girl; she was tiny, fragile like butterfly wings, but underneath he could sense a small fire in her which showed she was stronger than she appeared. Something she could definitely use to her advantage in the city.

Naminé gave a small nod, not fully understanding but knowing she didn't have to. She imagined in his position, she would do the same.

The walk continued in more comfortable silence, the only noises for miles were their footsteps until they hit recognisable ground.

"The park! I know where we are!" Naminé breathed a heavy sigh of relief now she was somewhere familiar.

"Phew! I thought we had taken a wrong turn back there but no, I am the Street King!" The stranger threw a poor attempt of a gang hand gesture up in the air before stuffing his hands back in his pocket.

Giggling, Naminé followed the familiar pathway through the park, gravel sticking between her bare toes like the sand used to back home.

She turned around to face the stranger, his eyes shining even brighter under the park streetlights. "Thanks for everything - I think I can handle myself from here."

The stranger smiled and shook his head vigorously, walking up to her side.

"I promised you I would get you home, so I'm walking you home, not ¾ of the way!" He said, spikes bouncing with his head movements.

"Okay." Naminé continued down the path. Deep down she was thankful he was still with her, the amnesia really shook her up and she was feeling out of sorts, and the added safety of him helped calm her considerably.

The next 20 minutes were spent listening to the stranger hum along with the birds that were waking for dawn. Was it that early already? Naminé couldn't remember what time it was, she didn't know how long she had been unconscious for or how long they had been walking.

They arrived at the apartment complex and Naminé hesitated at the door.

"What are you waiting for?" The stranger asked, picking up on her nervous behaviour.

"I don't want to deal with Selphie, and I know when I go up there I will be pestered and I don't know if I can handle that right now," she shook her head to dispel the thoughts.

"Well, why not use the trusty ol' fire escape?" The stranger pointed a thumb over the side of the building where the steps and railings lead up to her flat.

"Why have I never thought of that?! The amount of times I have needed that route!" She smiled with the new-found escape route and hopped the gate at the first flight of steps, the stranger following like a loyal pet. She decided not to question it.

Her bedroom window was open just a crack. _Perfect_. She slid her arm through and pushed it up just enough to fit herself through it, hauling herself in legs first and landing neatly on her desk.

"So I guess this is where I bid you adieu?" The stranger asked, once again smiling so wide his teeth shone in the darkness. He sent a half-wave her way then turned away from the window.

"Wait!" the stranger stopped and looked at her expectantly.

"You promised..." Naminé felt her face start to heat up. She was eager to know who the kind stranger was.

"So I did..." The stranger sighed, pulling his hood away from his head to reveal a mess of chocolate coloured spikes identical to the ones on his fringe; his features were delicate but had a strength that couldn't be placed.

"My name is Sora." He smiled warmly, and then suddenly there was a loud noise beneath them, spooking him enough to put his hood back up.

Sora looked over at Naminé one last time, putting his finger to his lips in a 'shh' gesture. She nodded in understanding and he was gone in a blink.

Sora...

Naminé smiled to herself before she closed the window on the weirdest night of her life so far.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **Well this has been a long time coming. My laptop originally crashed and I thought I had lost all of my chapters/plot details for this story so I left it, but alas I have managed to find it all again! Yay! I'm aware it's a bit choppy but I'm happy enough with it to publish it. I reckon this story will only have about 15 chapters and I have no idea how long that will take so I wouldn't have high expectations for fast updates. However I will be updating as often as I can so I hope you enjoy it! :)


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